The Butterfield Bermuda Championship took an unexpected turn Sunday when powerful winds forced PGA Tour officials to cancel the final round at Port Royal Golf Course, leaving Austin Smotherman and Seamus Power tied for the lead and setting up a sudden-death playoff.

Wind gusts exceeding 40 mph created unplayable conditions, preventing any of the 72 players who made the cut from beginning their final rounds. With Monday’s forecast offering little improvement, officials made the decision to shorten the tournament from 72 to 54 holes.

Smotherman and Power finished three rounds tied at 16-under par, meaning the tournament could not produce a champion without additional competition. The two players were scheduled to return Monday at 8 a.m. ET, or 9 a.m. local time, for a sudden-death playoff beginning on the par-3 16th hole.

The unusual circumstances have brought attention to the PGA Tour’s playoff regulations, particularly how winners are determined when severe weather prevents a tournament from reaching its scheduled conclusion.

How PGA Tour Playoff Rules Work

Unlike some major championships that use aggregate-score playoff formats, regular PGA Tour events typically use sudden death. Players tied for first compete on designated holes until one records a lower score than the others on the same hole.

For example, if Smotherman makes birdie on the first playoff hole while Power makes par, Smotherman immediately wins the tournament. If both players make the same score, they continue to the next designated hole until the tie is broken.

There is no fixed limit on the number of holes a sudden-death playoff can last. The competition continues until a winner is determined, provided weather and course conditions allow play to proceed.

The PGA Tour also has procedures for handling delays and postponements when conditions prevent a playoff from beginning or continuing. Officials can suspend play if weather creates unsafe conditions, and they must determine whether competition can reasonably resume under the applicable tournament regulations.

That flexibility is particularly important in Bermuda, where officials canceled Sunday’s entire final round but still planned to bring the two leaders back Monday.

Smotherman and Power Face Major Stakes in Bermuda

Power entered the tournament ranked No. 103 in the FedExCup Fall standings, just outside the top 100 required to retain full PGA Tour status for the following season. A victory would dramatically improve his position while securing his Tour card through 2028.

Winning would also earn Power a place in the PGA Tour Championship Series under the new 2028 schedule, providing additional opportunities to compete in high-profile tournaments.

For Smotherman, the stakes are different but equally significant. He captured his first PGA Tour victory earlier in October at the Bank of Utah Championship, and another win would mark his second title in the same month.

A victory in Bermuda would also secure Smotherman a spot in the 2027 U.S. Open, adding another major championship appearance to his schedule.

Both golfers are entered in the VidantaWorld Mexico Open the following week in Vallarta, Mexico. With a charter flight scheduled to transport players from Bermuda, the weather-related postponement has also created logistical complications.

The situation is unusual but not unprecedented on the PGA Tour. The last event shortened to 54 holes was the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, when severe weather prevented the final round from taking place.

Monday finishes have also occurred, including the Travelers Championship in June, when Viktor Hovland defeated Scottie Scheffler in a playoff.